Northants CALC

Eydon Parish Council has a vacancy for a parish clerk and responsible finance officer.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced persons, although training will be offered and enthusiasm to learn will be seen as an alternative to formal qualifications.

Please click here to download the full vacancy notice.

Welcome to the latest edition of eUpdate from Northants CALC. This issue explains why it is not a good idea for councils to help their clerks (don’t worry, read the article!), analyses how parish councils in Northamptonshire reacted to the precepting/council tax issue, and looks at how communities can step in to save their local pub. There are signposts to a wealth of information, tips and resources plus all the usual features including training events, national conferences and more.

Download your copy of eUpdate here.

As part of the sector consultation about the future of the Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) is asking for views about the Scheme through an online survey.

Please click on the following link, or cut and paste it into your browser address bar, to complete the survey:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/QPSREVIEW2013

The survey should take you approximately 20 – 25 minutes to complete and will be open for responses until 1st April 2013.

The survey is in a format that is compatible with most screen-readers. If you have any problems completing the survey or would like to receive the survey in a different format please contact the administration team at NALC on 020 7637 1865 or nalc@nalc.gov.uk.

Many thanks in advance for taking the time to respond.

The Councillor Panel is now launched.

Please click here for the Terms of Reference.

We are doing our best to keep disruption to a minimum and to make it business as usual for our member councils during this period of heavy snow across the county.

We have taken a decision to postpone the Code of Conduct training that was due to be held this Wednesday, 23 January. This will now be held on Wednesday 27 February (same time, same place). Delegates that were booked on the event will receive a direct e-mail.

The office in Litchborough is open but staffing is unpredictable because of travel conditions. If you have an urgent enquiry please telephone… if you find the answerphone on please follow up your enquiry with a short e-mail as we can often access e-mails before we can access the answerphone.

Thank you for your patience and understanding!

The Northants CALC Annual Report contains a summary of the Association’s activity to 31 March 2012. Read reports from the Chairman, Honorary Treasurer and Chief Executive. The Annual Report also includes a summary of the Association’s accounts to 31 March 2012.

The Annual Report was adopted by the Annual General Meeting of member councils, which took place on Saturday 20 October 2012 in Raunds.

For questions relating to the Annual Report please contact the Chief Executive.

Applications are invited for the post of Clerk to Barnwell Parish Council, which will become vacant on 1 January 2013 upon the retirement of the present incumbent.

The ideal candidate will be computer literate with internet access, have strong administrative and organisational skills, sound experience of accounts and budgets and be a good communicator.

Parish council meetings, at which the Clerk is required to take minutes, are held bi-monthly in the evening, and there is an occasional requirement to attend other meetings.

The post is for approximately 5 hours per week and the salary is SCP 15 – 17 (£8.344 to £8.747 per hour) depending on qualifications and experience.

For further information please contact the Chair of the Council, Heather Hanlon on 01832 270311 or by e-mail.

The closing date for applications is 1 November 2012.

To find out more about the role of the Clerk download an introductory booklet entitled ‘The Essential Clerk’ here.

HMRC has launched a consultation on the use of rebated fuel for gritting in rural areas. The full consultation document can be found here.

Northants CALC has sent the following response and would encourage member councils to send their own response.

*****
The Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils (Northants CALC), is the membership organisation representing the 260 parish and town councils and parish meetings in the county of Northamptonshire.

Would it benefit rural communities if the law allowed the use of red diesel in vehicles being used for gritting that are not purpose-built or adapted for that purpose?

Yes. We would like to encourage the use of local contractor and farm vehicles to contribute to the county council’s gritting efforts.

Would such a change benefit gritting authorities?

Yes. Particularly in the “final mile”, which is often the minor access roads in to and out of isolated villages.

Should the change be confined to agricultural tractors or should it be extended to other excepted agricultural vehicles?

The change should apply to any vehicle used on a for gritting and/or snow clearance

Would a 15-mile restriction be too restrictive?

No.

Would a 15-mile restriction protect existing commercial contractors?

Yes.

Would the additional demand for salt and grit cause a shortage?

No. The volumes of salt used locally in the “final third” are small compared to the volume used on the major routes.

Can you foresee any harm to your business if this proposal were adopted?

No.

Pitsford is a village in the Daventry District in Northamptonshire, near Moulton, and has an electorate of 360.  Pitsford Parish Council has a vacancy for Clerk to the Council  working 6 hours per week on average.   The closing date for applications and CV is the 29 May 2012.

Please download the full vacancy here.